Service Week: Love Crofton and beyond

     The first week of November was crazy! Just as our Youth and Camp Ministry course was winding down, and our Introduction to the Old Testament course was winding up, we were presented with an amazing opportunity to serve the residents of our community. 

    Love Crofton, is an annual event that is a partnership between Warmland Church and Camp Qwanoes through the Kaléo program. For three days, us students put aside our own schedules and responsibilities of course work, to do yard work in the community we are living in. The week was challenging and rewarding. We experienced everything from being dropped off at the wrong address, to working hard to get the weed whacker started in the rain. Thankfully, God blessed us with an amazing leadership team, and a good friend who both lent us his pocket-knife and started up the weed whacker every 20 minutes for us (thanks Nolan!). Something that I have really enjoyed about this week, is being able to serve alongside others, and get to know people from my Kaléo class more deeply as we spend time together working outside. A highlight for me, was when Ethan and I got to rake a person's yard, and leave a little note for them. I really enjoyed imagining the look on their faces when they got home and found their yard (mostly) leaf free. Being able to talk to people in the evening, and share stories of what we did with our day, the people we spent it with, and the jobs we accomplished was a great encouragement. My overall highlight was my day with Greg. Besides getting to work alongside the Kaléo legend, I was blessed with getting to meet Wendy Caine, her husband Bruce and grandson Aidon. It was really cool to work alongside them as we raked their yard, to hear and share stories with them, and see the smile on Aidon's face.

    As for the impact we made in the community? That's for them to decide, but as Wendy said today, "Every little bit helps, thank-you so much guys!" I know the kind of impact I hope we made. That we were able to share the love of Christ, and point people towards a relationship with him through our simple act of kindness. The impact we did make, was that little bit of kindness that hopefully got people thinking. 

    This is mission with a lower-case m, pointing people to the Mission with the capital. I consider what we did missions work, because we were doing what God called us to do, serve others as he has served us. It's not the same level as sharing the gospel, which is the great commission, and will reach all people of all nations, but hopefully some of our conversations will have an effect for the kingdom of God. We are called to be "missionaries" wherever we are. Missionaries have a divine call, and make an enormous sacrifice on behalf of the kingdom, we did the same, on a much smaller scale but the same elements and goal in mind. God's kingdom is not of this world, it is spiritual, but what we do every day has a chance to ripple into eternity. God is not bound by human limitations. He can use anything, no matter how small, if it is dedicated to him. Something that inspires me, is my roommate's story about the lasagne people. The reason she first came to church, camp, and Jesus is because some people made her family a lasagne when they were going through a tough time. So I pray that God would use my actions, words and heart to reach people even through something as simple as raking a yard.

    

Day One Picture of my teammate Gabby high-fiving Nolan after he started the weed whacker first try.      It was a joyous occasion. 

This is Ethan holding our rakes. We raked that pile of leaves down below, which made me really happy. At my house we don't usually rake leaves, we rake pine needles. So I had to take a picture of the leaves I was raking in November.